Insulator



April 15, 1930- H. P. SLEEMAN INSULATOR Filed Jan. 7, 1925 INI/ENTDH HHROLD F? SLEEMRN MBYQ/ ATTORNEYS 7/ E m m Patented Apr. 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HAROLD I. SLEEMAN, 0] EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE R. THOMAS & SONS COMPANY, OF EAST LIVERPOOL, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO INSULATOR Application filed January My invention relates to insulators, and the object of my invention is to provide a post insulator, the insulating units of which are of the Hewlett or link type commonly used in suspension insulators. Speoificall my in vention contemplates a slight modi cation of the well known Hewlett insulator, and the provision of associated fittings adapted for cooperation therewith to build up a post insulator, so that the field of utility of insulators of this type is increased.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a side elevation partially in section through a multi-unit insulator of the post ty in which my invention is embodied in one orm;

Fig. 2 is a. section on the line 2-2, Fig. 3, showing a modified construction;

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33, Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a plan on enlarged scale, of the screw bolt illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5, Fig. 4.

The Hewlett or link type insulator comprises a substantially spherical hub or body 15, from which projects a circumferential integral flange 16. The body of the insulator is pierced as usual by passages 17 and 18 at right angles to each other to accommodate the U-links 19 and 20 by which adjacent units of the suspension string are loosely coupled together or to the terminal fittings. In these features the present insulator is of standard construction. My invention adapts this standard construction for strain insulators, to a rigid post insulator.

For this purpose I provide between adj acent insulator units a spacer 21, here shown in the form of a tubular member, at the opposite ends of which are outwardly offset flanges 22 and 23, the oilset ends of which are adapted to rest against the bodies of the adjacent insulators. To center the latter with respect to each other and to afford satisfactory seats'for the flanges 22 and 23 of the spacer, I preferably form annular shoulders 24 and 25 in the opposedsurfaces of the insulator bodies. The spacer is held in place and rigidly secured to the insulators by the U-shaped links 19 and 20. In the form shown in Fig. 1 the ends of the links are threaded to receive the draw-up 7, 1925. Serial No. 1,032.

nuts 26, and arepassed through sockets 27 formed in the spacer flanges 22 and 23 on opposite diameters respectively.

The upper and lower, or terminal, fittings for the post insulator may be of any appropriate character. The base fitting 28, also of tubular form, is provided with a flange 29 adapted to rest against the shoulder 24 in the lower face of the lower insulator unit, and has a pair of sockets 30 to receive the ends of the link 19. The base flange 31 is apertured at appropriate points 32 for the accommodation of bolts or the like, by which the struc- I ture as a whole is secured to its support.

The fitting 33 at the opposite or upper endof the structure, is provided'with a flange 34 adapted to rest against the shoulder 25, on the upper surface of the body of the upper insulating unit, and is provided with sockets 35 to receive the opposite ends of the link 20. A clevis 36, or other appropriate means, is provided on this fitting for attachment to the conductor supported by the insulator.

It will be realized that as many insulator units as desired may be utilized in building up the post, and that the spacing and terminal hardware fittings may be of any appropriate type, so long as they are such as to cooperate usual passages formed in the body of the insulatorg Of course the structure may be suplink of this type. For this purpose the flange 39 of the associated fitting, whether it be spacer, such as 21, or terminal fitting, such as 28 or 33, is provided. with a tapped hole 40 adapted to receive theshank of a hollow with the U-shaped links which engage in the i l screw bolt 41, the head 42 of which is recessed to aflord'a seat 43 for the accommodation of the head 38 of the link. The belt is also radially slotted at 44 to permit the shank of the link to be passed laterally into the longitudinal center of the screw. Adjacent the tapped socket 40 of the flange 39 of the fitting is a plain passageway 45 of suflicient diameter to permit the link head 38 to pass freely therethrough. This passage communicates through a restricted channel 46 with the tapped socket 40. \Vhen the radial slot 44 in the screw bolt is in register with the passage 46, it is possible to pass the shank of the link laterally into the screw bolt, so that when the latter is turned outward in its socket 40, the link head 31 is engaged in the seat 43. The engagement between the fitting and the insulator unit may be made firm by turning the screw nut further, while the lateral escape of the link from the screw is rendered impossible by reason of the engagement of the link head 38 in the seat 43, even when the slot 44 of the screw registers with the passage 46 in the fitting flange. It is thus possible to utilize either type of link to secure the rigid connection between the insulator unit and the associated fittings. When using the screw bolt type of Fig. 1, spring lock washers 47' are preferably placed beneath the nuts 26. These serve not only to hold the nut against loosening, but also afi'ord cushioning means which prevent excessive strains on the porcelain incident to uneven expansion or contraction on variations of temperature. The latter result can also be attained in the second construction by springing the washers onto the shanks of the link beneath the heads 38 so that they lie between the latter and the seats 48 of the screw bolts 41.

The construction of the insulator and fittings is merely illustrative of my underlyingconception, and is susceptible of various modifications without departure from what I claim as my invention.

I claim 1. A post insulator comprising a pair of insulator units of the link type, a unitary tubular spacer extending therebetween, opposed U-links passing through the spaced insulator units, and means to engage the legs of the said links with the spacer and to unite the parts into a rigid whole.

2. In a post insulator having an insulator unit of the link type, a terminal fitting therefor comprising a tubular member having an outwardly oflset annular flange adapted to rest against the body of the insulator, and a pair of sockets formed in said flange, 0n opposite sides of the axis of the fitting, and adapted to receive the ends of a U-link passed through the insulator unit, together with means engaging the ends of the link with the fitting to hold the latter rigidly in position.

3. A combination adapted to be used in a. post or suspension insulator unit, comprising a substantially spherical insulating body pro vided with a laterally projecting annular flange, said body being ierced in planes substantially at ri ht ang es to each other, b spaced, mterlin ed, arcuate passages which open respectively on opposite sides of said flange, together with seats formed b de ressions in the spherical surface of sai bo y on opposite sides of said flange and intersecting the mouths of the said passages, U links assing through said arcuate passages, a tu ular unitary spacer having outwardly ofl'set flanges, said spacer being ada ted to rest upon either of the seats of said body and to be rigidly held "thereon by a U link.

4. A post insulator comprising a series of insulator units each having a body pierced by spaced passages arranged in intersecting planes and having their entry openings faced respectively in opposite directions, unitar tubular metallic spacer elements between ad jacent units, unitary metallic cap and base fittings for the respective terminal units of the insulator group, and oppositely-faced U-bolts arranged in the passages of each insulator and engaging the adjacent metallic members to secure the several parts into a rigid structure.

'5. A post insulator comprising a series of insulator units each having a body pierced by spaced passages arranged in intersectin planes and having their entry openings face respectively in opposite directions, unitary tubular metallic spaced elements between adjacent units, unitary metallic cap and base fittings for the respective terminal units of the insulator group, and readily-disengaged oppositely-faced U-bolts arranged in the passages of each insulator and engaging the adjacent hardware to secure the several parts into a rigid structure, and means readily HAROLD P. SLEEMAN. 

